Device for compressing shocks, bundles, and the like.



0. B. MILLER & H.. F. HARNER. DEVICE. FOR COMPRESSING SHOCKS, BUNDLES,AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOKTION FILED APE. 13,1908.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

WITNESSES 4 M Atlarney THE mmms PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c,

' is, of course, evident that this CLYDE B. MILLER AND HENRY F. HARNER,OF PIQUA, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR COMPRESSING SHOCKS, BUNDLES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification oi. Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed April 13, 1908. Serial No. 426,855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLYDE B. MILLER and HENRY F. HARNER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Piqua, in the county of Miami and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Compressing Shocks, Bundles, and the Like, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for compressing shocksof fodder and corn, as well as bundles of the same and other materials.

The object of this invention is to furnish a compressor, which will bepositive in action, and will hold the shock in its compressed positionuntil a'suitable binding means has con secured around the same. Otherobjects and advantages of this compressor will be apparent from thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of ourimproved compressor, partly in section; Fig. 2 is a top view of thehandle with the ends thereof broken away; Fig. 3 is a view taken on theline xa; of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, except that amodified form of pawl and spring is shown.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the handle of the device, which iscylindrical in form. This handle is fitted centrally thereof with ametal band 2, provided with a socket 3 within which is secured a stafi4, which is cylindrical in shape and pointed at its free end tofacilitate 1ts being thrust into and turned in the material to be comressed. It

dbvice could be successfully em loyed to compress a bundie of shinglesor like material, and in this case the o1nt of the staff 4 would notenter the artic es to be compressed, but the point of the staff wouldrest upon them.

Fixed to the staff 4 is a ratchet 5 on which is rotatably mounted apawl-carrying mem her 6. The body portion 7 of this member issubstantially perpendicular to and suitably spaced from the staff 4. Thebody portion 7 has an extension 8, bent at right angles to said bodyportion and terminating in a ring 9, which rests on top of the ratchet5, and loosely surrounds the staff 4. Immediately below and in the sameplane with the extension 8, is a metallic ring 10, having an arm 11,which is secured to the body portion 7. As shown, the ring 10 is looselymounted on the stafi 4 immediately beneath the ratchet 5. Convenientlypivoted between the parts 8 and 11 is a pawl 12, having a thumb-piece13. The awl 12 is held in operative relation to t e ratchet 5 by aspring 14, secured to the body portion 7 as s own.

At the lower end of the body ortion 7 is a ring 15, which looselysurroun s the stafi 4 and is secured to the body portion 7. The ring 15,if desired, could be formed integral with the body portion 7. As shown,the body portion 7 is provided with a slot 16.

In the side of the staff 4 is provided a slot 17 and from this slot thestaff is provided with a preferably central passage extending to theupper end thereof, as illustrated. At right angles to this slot 17 anaperture 18 is formed axially through the staff 4.

On the band 2 on the handle 1 is mounted a slide plate 19, rovided withslots 20 and a central V-shape opening 21. The rear end of the slideplate 19 is turned upward to form a handle 22. Headed ins 23 hold theslide plate lobsely upon the and 2 and guide its movement as will beapparent from the drawing.

A cord or rope 24, is run through the slot 16 in the pawl-carryingmember and is then threaded through the aperture 18, in the stafi andsuitably secured therein. The other end of the rope 24 is passed throughthe slot 17 and up through the passage in the staif 4 and thecommunicating aperture in the handle 1 and band 2 and the V-shapedopening in the slide 19.

Referring to Fig. 4, which is a modified form of the pawl and springshown in Fig. 3, 24 designates the pawl, which is suitably pivoted andhas a thumb-piece 25 and a depending portion 26. A spring 27, which issecured to the body portion 7 of the dog carrying member 6, is somewhatcurved, as shown, and so arranged with relation to the depending portion26 of the pawl that it will normally hold the pawl in engagement withthe ratchet. However, when the shock or the like has been tightlycompressed, and the retaining band or cord secured around the same, theoperator presses upon the thumbpiece 25, thus disengaging the pawl fromthe ratchet and at the same time the depending portion 26 will depressthe spring 27, as it moves on its pivot, and will pass over the top ofthe curved spring. The operator can then release the t umb-piece 25, andthe rising spring will efiectually hold the pawl out of engagement withthe ratchet, thus allowing the operator to use both hands to rapidlyremove the compressor from the shock.

WVe do not wish to limit ourselves to the precise form of spring 27, asshown, but reserve the right to use any such variation thereof as wouldserve the purpose.

The handle 1 and the staff 4, of this device can be manufactured fromsteel tubing or out of any other suitable material, solid or otherwise.7

In the operation of this device, the rope 24 is first placed around theshock, bundle or the like, and the end of the staff 4 is inserted in theshock or other material, until the r ng 15 abutsthe same. The handle 1is then turned to the right and the slack in the rope is quickly takenup, as the rope is wound upon the stafi 4, from each side. l/Vhen theshock has been sufficiently compressed, the handle 1 is released, andthe pawl 12 engages the ratchet 5 and prevents the staff 4 fromrotating, thus holding the shock firmly compressed until a suitableretaining band or cord can be placed around the shock. The handle 1 canthen be turned to the left, the pawl 12 meanwhile being held out ofengagement with the ratchet 5, until enough of the rope has been unwoundto allow the stafi to be withdrawn and the rope slid ofi the shock. a

As is readily apparent, the rope 24 could be assed directly through theslot 16 in the body portion 7 of the pawl-carrying member, and theaperture 18, in the staff 4 and be provided at each end with a hook, orother suitable fastening device, in order that the two ends may befastened around the shock to be compressed. The device would work justas positively with the rope arranged as above described, but of course,the rope could not be as rapidly adjusted about the bundles to becompressed, where their sizes varied considerably.

Having thus described our invention, we claim,

1. In a device of the character described, a handle, a staff fixed tosaid handle, said handle being provided with ro e holding means, aratchet fixed on said sta a frame rotatably mounted on said staff, thebottom of said frame being adapted to serve as a stop to prevent thestaff from entering too far into the material to be compressed, saidframe being rovided with rope holding means, a paw mounted in operativerelation to said ratchet, and a rope passed through the rope holdingmeans of said frame and the rope holding means of said handle, said ropebeing adapted to be suitably secured around the material to becompressed, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a handle, a staff fixed tosaid handle and provided with an aperture, rope holding means at the endof said aperture, a ratchet fixed on said staff, a U-shaped slottedframe rotatably mounted on said staff, a pawl mounted on said U-shapedslotted frame, means adapted to hold said pawl either in or out ofengagement with said ratchet, and a rope secured at one point by saidholding means, and passed through the slot in said U-shaped slottedframe and through a second aperture in said staff, the ends of said ropebeing adapted to be suitably secured around the material to becompressed, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, a handle provided with anaperture, a slide plate provided with a V-shaped opening mounted on saidhandle in operative relation to said aperture, a slotted staff securedto said handle, said staff being provided with a longitudinal passage incommunication with said slot and aperture in the handle, a ratchet fixedon said staff, a slotted member rotatably arranged on said staff, a pawlmounted on said slotted member, and a rope having one end passed throughthe slot in the slotted member and secured to the staff and the otherend threaded through the slot and passage in said staff and through theaperture in the handle, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, a handle provided with anaperture, a slide plate mounted in operative relation to the aperture insaid handle and rovided with rope engaging means, a slotte staff fixedto said handle, said staff being provided with a longitudinal'passage incommunication with said slot therein and the aperture in said handle, aratchet fixed on said staff, a frame rotatably mounted on said staff,said frame being provided with rope holding means, a pawl mounted inoperative relation to said ratchet, spring means adapted to hold saidpawl either in or out of engagement with said ratchet, and a rope havingone end secured to said staff and the other threaded through the ropeholding means of the frame and the passage in said staff and through theaperture in said handle, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a device of the character described, a handle provided with anaperture, a slide plate mounted in o erative relation to the aperture insaid han le, said slide plate being provided with rope engaging means, aslotted staff fixed to said handle and provided with an aperture, saidstaff being also provided with a longitudinal passage in communicationwith the said slot therein and the aperture in said handle, a ratchetfixed on said staff, a slotted U-shaped frame rotatably mounted on saidstaff and supported thereon by said ratchet, a pawl mounted on saidslotted U-shaped frame and normally held in operative relation to saidratchet, and a rope having one end secured in the aperture in said staffand the other end threaded through the slot and passage in said staffand through the aperture in said handle, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, a handle provided with anaperture, a slotted stafi secured to said handle, said staff beingprovided with a longitudinal assage in communication with said slot anaperture in the handle, a ratchet fixed on said stafi, a slotted memberrotatably arranged on said staff, a pawl mounted on said slotted member,a rope having one end passed through the slot in the slotted member andsecured to the stafi and the other end threaded through the slot andpassage in said staff and through the aperture in said handle, and meansfor securing said rope, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, a handle provided with anaperture, a slotted staff secured to said handle and provided with anaperture, said slotted stafi being also provided with a longitudinalpassage in communication with the slot in said stafi and the aperture,in said handle, a ratchet fixed on said staff a slotted U-shaped framerotatably mounted on said staff, a pawl mounted on said slotted U-shapedframe, means for holding said pawl either in or out of engagement withsaid ratchet, a rope having one end passed through the slot in theslotted U- shaped member and secured in the aperture in said slottedstaif and the other end threaded throu h the slot and passage in saidslotted stafl and through the aperture in said handle, and means forsecuring the portion of the rope that is threaded through the handle,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CLYDE B. MILLER. HENRY F. HARNER. Witnesses:

H. H. LANE, SETH MoCoLLooH.

